


Don't Let the Phoenix Get You Down

by kwhyloren



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Lots of funny chocobro banter, Suggestive Themes, this one was a blast to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 11:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10411578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwhyloren/pseuds/kwhyloren
Summary: You agree to join the boys on a hunt, but it doesn't exactly go as planned.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I've been completely obsessed with FFXV lately. I have over 100 hours logged on it and it's just...amazing. I'm totally in love with the characters and everything so look forward to more FFXV fics after this one, I have a lot of ideas!!
> 
> A little note about the fic: I was thinking about how the potions and such the boys use are just normal energy drinks that Noctis infuses with his magic, so the idea came to me that a regular person (a hunter in this case) wouldn't know they existed, so I decided to run with that.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

When the boys ask you if you want to come hunting with them, you don’t know how to react. It’s not the thought of fighting beasts-- you, in fact, are a seasoned hunter yourself --but the thought of fighting side by side with them. It means they trust you. It means your friendship with them is something more than just meeting up for lunch every now and again or making small talk whenever they show up at Meldacio. This time, though, you’re in Leide, freshly finishing up hunting down a rather problematic couple of dualhorn. Apparently, the boys are about to hunt down a behemoth which, honestly, scares you a little bit. One of your good friends had been killed by one a while ago, and they still made your stomach churn. Regardless, you agree to help. You know they’ll probably need an extra hand.

 

Prompto is the most excited, Six bless him. He keeps turning around in the passenger seat of the Regalia to look back at you and make conversation, a painfully adorable smile on his face. Out of all of them, he’s the one you’re the most close to...and the one that you’re kind of starting to have a thing for. You secretly wish it was him you were squished next to in the back seat instead of Noctis or Gladio.

 

“So, you nervous, _____?” Prompto asks. “I mean...you’ve probably fought something like this before, but  _ still _ . Behemoth’s are freaky.”

 

You laugh softly. “They are. Regardless of how many I’ve seen or hunted, they’re still no joke.”

 

“Damn right.” Gladio pipes up next to you. “That Deadeye was a pain. I can only imagine what fighting one with two good eyes will be like.”

 

“It shouldn’t be too difficult, as long as we have a plan.” Ignis glances at the rearview mirror for a moment before turning his gaze back to the dusty road. “Besides, with _____ helping us, it should go much quicker.”

 

“Yeah, exactly!” Prompto grins back at you. “It’ll be sweet to have you hunt with us. I’ve honestly been curious to see you fight.”

 

You quirk an eyebrow. “Really? Why’s that?”

 

Prompto lets out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, no reason...you just seem...kinda badass.”

 

That one makes you laugh a little. Apparently Gladio thinks it’s funny too.

 

“That why you like her so much?” He teases.

 

Prompto’s cheeks flush slightly. You hear Noctis let out a small laugh beside you.

 

“Wh-What? Ha...that’s…” He clears his throat before quickly turning back around to sit normally in his seat.

 

“Something wrong?” Gladio’s pretends he doesn’t know.

 

“Shut up…”

“We’re here,” Ignis says, effectively silencing any more comments Gladio may have made.

 

He parks the car a ways from the hunting site, since the beast’s territory is located near an old battleground, riddled with debris and hard to navigate. It’s also a hotspot for Imperial activity, but none of you expect to have any trouble with them. That is, until the Imperial dreadnought arrives. At first, you don’t even hear it, but the low humming of its engines comes to you right as Prompto yells.

 

“Imperials, above us!”

 

Your hands immediately move to grip the hilts of your daggers, preparing for a fight. It isn’t long until the enemies drop down from the ship, brandishing their weapons. Magitek troopers. One of the contraption’s head snaps in your direction, eyes glowing malevolently. Your skin crawls. Suddenly, everyone’s fighting.

 

You don’t know how long the fighting goes on, but you’re so engrossed that you can’t seem to focus on anything but the sound of clashing steel. The MT you were fighting goes down, and you finally have time to glance around. The others seem to be wrapped up in their own fights. Something’s wrong, though. You can’t see Prompto. 

 

_ Where is he? _ You think, glancing around again. It’s then that you spot him, half-hidden behind some brush. It’s what else you see near him that makes your heart drop into your stomach.

 

“ _ Prompto, move _ !” You screech, voice rising a couple octaves in panic. The blonde is lying on his stomach. How he got that way, you have no idea, all you know is that the magitek assassin standing horrifyingly close to him has its blades raised, sharp edges glinting in the hot Leiden sunlight.

 

He rolls quickly over onto his back, eyes widening with unadulterated fear before he tries to scramble backwards, away from the arc of the swords, but the MT is quicker. You rush at the metal man, brutally sinking your curved daggers into the weak point at the base of its neck, wrenching them upwards to disconnect the joints. It hisses feebly, red sparks and inky black smoke erupting from the gaping hole you created,  its head tilting at an unnatural angle. You remove one of your daggers and push it deep into  its head, finishing the abomination off. It clatters to the sandy ground, twitching. A wave of relief rushes over you. It’s dead, he’s safe.

 

“_____…” Prompto croaks.

 

“That was a close one...it almost--” Your words die out in your throat as you finally look at him.

 

Both swords are in his stomach, buried deep. They’re at an angle, and you realize with a sickening dread that the MT must have stabbed him the moment before you made your move. You were too slow. Too late. His black tank is soaking slowly with blood, the dust underneath him drinking it in greedily. You fall to your knees beside him, eyes filling with tears.

 

“Prom...no.  _ No. _ Shit, I was...I wasn’t fast enough…”

 

He opens his mouth to answer, but only a whimper comes out. The sharpness of the blades makes any movement dangerous. Even breathing is tearing up his insides. You have to get them out if he has any chance of surviving this. Your hands move to grasp one of the hilts, teeth biting hard into your lower lip. Prompto looks at you through pained blue eyes. His hands grip at the hot sand, fingers making dirty trails in the dust. He closes his eyes, bracing himself.

 

You pull the blade out in one swift motion, careful to take it out at the same angle it went in before discarding it. It clangs hollowly as it hits the ground, and it’s then you realize it’s gotten eerily quiet.

 

“Anyone dead?” Ignis jokes from far away, and your heart thuds painfully at how darkly ironic the words are.

 

“Does tired count?” Noctis adds dryly, a hint of humor in his tone.

 

You move to grip the hilt of the other sword embedded in Prompto’s midsection, hands shaking. The moment you pull it out, he gasps in pain. You don’t waste a second with bringing your hands back to press down on the wounds, trying to keep the bleeding at bay. 

“Guys. Something’s wrong with Prompto.” Gladio’s voice sounds gruff, but worried.

 

There’s a pause, then an urgent scuffling of feet. Displaced dust floats past, carefree and oblivious to the carnage. Noctis lands beside you first, hands immediately moving to join yours on Prompto’s stomach. Gladio kneels down on one knee, heavy brows furrowed as he assesses the damage. Ignis is already at the supplies, a string of hushed curse words leaving his mouth as he struggles to find what he needs.

 

“What happened?” Noctis asks beside you, not even bothering to stop his voice from cracking.

 

“MT got me...hah...those guys are...pretty fast, huh?” Prompto wheezes, lips curving slightly into a sad smile. A bead of blood gathers at the corner of his mouth and slips down his cheek. He coughs, then groans.

 

“Don’t talk. It’ll make it worse.” Gladio says, frowning. He gives you a glance, expression grim. You already know what he’s trying to tell you. This is bad.

 

You can’t speak. Your throat feels clogged. You can’t stop staring at mess of blood on his shirt, on your hands. You’re shaking.  _ Prompto’s going to die _ , you think. _ He’s going to die and it’s all my fault. _

 

“Prompto, quickly. Use this.” Ignis comes into view, a feather in his hand. Your eyebrows furrow, wondering how a feather’s going to help the dying man. Prompto reaches shakily for it, taking it and squeezing it weakly in his hand. It glows, and you watch in awe as the light of it spreads to the rest of his body. Noctis removes his hands from his friend’s stomach, and you quickly follow suit, watching as it works its magic. When it’s over, you glance at his face. His eyes are closed, expression peaceful. Your heart stops.

 

“Is he…?” Your voice comes out small, frightened.

 

“No, it only took a lot out of him. Look at the wounds. They’re healing.” Ignis replies.

 

You look, eyes widening in shock. The gaping wounds are nothing but small gashes now, still oozing blood, but not enough to be fatal. It doesn’t make any sense. You’ve lost people to lesser wounds than these, and yet that feather, whatever it was, reduced the damage significantly within seconds.

 

“How--” You start, but stop before you can ask, not knowing what to say.

 

“Phoenix down. It’s a real life-saver. Literally.” Gladio explains. “Noct here imbues them with his magic.”

 

Ignis nods. “All of our restoratives are similarly made. Though...that doesn’t mean we’re infallible. I shudder to think of what would happen if we were to administer one too late.”

 

“Yeah, and we’re not out of the woods yet. He’s lost a lot of blood. We should make camp. The behemoth can wait.” Gladio adds.

 

You don’t realize how quiet Noctis has been until he speaks up. He sounds tired. “Yeah. Let’s get going.”

 

You’re rooted to the ground, still trying to take everything in. You had only known these boys for a few months at most, and even then you never fought at their side. It was always a quick hello, lunch at the Crow’s Nest, or even a drink in their motel room. The side of them you knew was fun, bright-- inviting. Of course, you knew they were excellent fighters. Their hunting reputation among your fellow comrades says as much. Still, you hadn’t expected this. When you agreed to go hunting with them today, the last thing you expected was an MT ambush. And you  _ certainly _ hadn’t expected to watch Prompto, the sweet guy you were totally beginning to crush on, get run through by its swords. As surprising as everything was, you’re glad that the phoenix down exists. Today could have been a darker day.

 

“_____? You okay?” Noctis asks.

 

“She’s probably still a little spooked.” Gladio answers him for you, moving to hoist Prompto into his strong arms. “It’s not easy watching someone you care about almost die.”

 

Your heart flutters.  _ What? Is it that obvious? _

 

“Right.” Noctis says, standing also. He holds out a bloodied hand to you and your stomach churns slightly. This is all so...wrong. It doesn’t feel right to be walking away from this. If this were a normal hunt, with normal hunters, Prompto would be dead. You shakily take Noct’s hand and stand, trying to keep your lunch down. You can’t help but wonder if you could have saved some of your friends, if you only had a phoenix down. The thought haunts you.

 

Noctis shifts awkwardly and you realize you haven’t yet let go of his hand. “We should go. He’ll want to see you when he wakes up.”

 

You remove your hand from his, noticing that Gladio and Ignis are already walking.

 

“Yeah.” Your voice sounds hollow.

 

The walk to the campsite is somber. You’re lost in your thoughts, watching the dust trail off of the backs of Noctis’s boots as he walks ahead of you. Though the heat of the desert sun surrounds you, it’s hard to feel it. You almost feel cold, chilled by the dread that won’t seem to leave your chest. You’re not sure why it’s bothering you so much. Prompto’s going to be okay, you  _ know _ that, but why do you still feel so horrible? 

 

_ Maybe I’m focusing too much on what could have happened. _ You reason, finally glancing up from the ground. Gladio and Ignis are standing atop a small rocky plateau ahead. You can’t see Prompto. Your heart twinges.  _ Stop that, _ you scold it. Noctis starts up the small ramp of stone leading up to the campsite and you follow, vaguely aware of the voices coming from the top.

 

“Think he’ll be okay?” Gladio’s voice is soft.

 

“Undoubtedly.” Ignis replies. “He’s no longer in critical health, so his condition isn’t life threatening.”

 

“Physical health is one thing. If you ask me, getting skewered by an MT is pretty traumatic, don’t you think?”

 

“You’re right on that end. He’ll be jumpy for quite a while, at the very least.”

 

“He’s already jumpy. Guy’s gonna have a damn heart attack every time an imperial ship so much as shows up a mile off.” 

 

“Mm...perhaps. Though, let’s not jump to conclusions before he wakes up.” 

 

Gladio grunts in reply, and you finally make it to the top, taking a few moments to glance around. Ignis is off to the side, setting up what looks like a portable grill. A few bags sit next to him, holding bundles of different foods and ingredients. Gladio is setting up the tent, hammering one of the spikes into the rock to help it stand. There’s some cloth fold-up chairs towards the middle of the plateau, and you realize that two of them are pushed together front to front-- a makeshift bed. Prompto lies on top of them, arms folded over his stomach. You swallow hard.

 

“You guys need any help?” Noctis asks.

 

“Yeah, hold up that side of the tent.” Gladio says. 

 

Their voices fade into the wind as you slowly make your way toward the chairs, eyes trained on Prompto’s figure. When you reach him, the first thing you look at is his face. His eyes are still closed; he hasn’t woken up yet. Some of his hair is sticking to his forehead from the sweat. It’s too hot out, you realize, but someone made sure to place him so that the back of the chair blocks the sun’s light from his face. You bite your lip before moving your gaze to his stomach. His arms are blocking most of the damage from your view, but you can still see the stains of crimson in the pattern on his tank. You blindly reach a hand beside you to feel for one of the unused chairs, pulling it slightly closer to you before you take a seat beside Prompto, not taking your eyes from him.

 

You feel like it’s your fault. After years of hunting, you should have been faster at reacting. The whole situation could have been avoided. Prompto wouldn’t be in pain, and you wouldn’t have been forced to realize the very real possibility that he could have died. Of course, you were familiar with death, being a hunter, but you like to forget sometimes, what it's like. To feel the sting of a fresh gash. The thick, warm trickle of blood. The rush of adrenaline afterwards. You like to forget what it feels like to hold a dying friend and watch the light fade from their eyes. Forget how they trembled and pleaded, voice cracking,  _ please, oh Six, please don't let this be the end… _

 

You feel the tears start slipping down your cheeks and close your eyes, trying to keep the wave of emotion at bay. Your hands find your knees and you grip them tightly, trying to anchor yourself to reality. Oh.  _ That's  _ why you're so upset. Seeing Prompto almost bleeding out, his once clear blue eyes fogged with pain, brought back old memories you had tried so hard to forget. It was all too familiar, watching someone you cared about die while you watched, powerless. It’s the reason you stopped trying to make friends, and the reason you normally made it a point never to hunt with anyone you were close to. You had forgotten what it felt like. You had forgotten how the guilt ripped a gaping hole in your chest, vast and dense, like a black hole. The top of your shirt is soaked from your crying now, you can feel the damp fabric clinging to your collarbone. You keep your eyes closed, squeezing them shut tighter to try and will yourself to stop. If the others hear you, they’ll ask too many questions.

 

Suddenly, something touches your left hand. It’s slightly cold, but soft and gentle. Your eyes pop open and you blink tears from your eyes, struggling to see. Prompto’s hand is on yours and he’s looking at you, brows furrowed with worry.

 

“Are you okay…?” He asks, voice hushed, and a little hoarse.

 

The question catches you off guard. You bite your lip and take a shaky breath. “You...you almost died and you’re asking me if  _ I’m _ okay? I should be the one asking you that.”

 

His hand squeezes yours lightly. “Did I do that…? Make you cry.”

 

You sniffle. “A little bit. There’s...other reasons, too.”

 

He frowns. “I’m sorry. This is my fault…”

 

Your eyes widen slightly and you move your hand to properly grasp his. “No, it’s mine. This is my fault. If I had killed the MT quicker, none of this would have happened.”

 

“No, _____… don’t blame yourself for this. Really… it’s my fault.”

 

You open your mouth to protest, but Noctis cuts you off.

 

“Hey, Prompto’s awake.” He says, and you hear him start to walk over. More footsteps follow and you know they’re all coming over to check on him.

 

_ Shit, _ you think.  _ They’ll see I’ve been crying. _ You hated crying in front of other people. Prompto seeing you wasn’t horrible, but if the rest of them did, they’d ask you questions and try and comfort you. That’s the last thing you want right now. Getting comforted will only make you cry more. You let go of Prompto’s hand and stand, avoiding his gaze and keeping yourself facing away from the others.

 

“I’m taking a walk.” You say, before quickly turning and walking before anyone can see your face.

 

“Don’t be too long.” Ignis calls after you. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

 

“Leave her be. It looks like she needs some time.” You hear Gladio say as you descend the ramp, eyes trained on the flat, dusty terrain ahead of you.

 

You walk for a long time. Of course, you stay close enough to camp that you can still see the smoke from the fire rising in the distance, but you’re far enough that they can’t see or hear you. Halfway through your walk you start crying again. Thinking of Prompto’s compassion and concern for you makes your heart squeeze painfully. He’s bright, like sunshine. If the sun suddenly stopped shining, everything would die. You would die. Is that how you feel about him?

 

_ Is it possible to love someone after only knowing them a few months? _ You ask yourself.  _ No, that’s crazy. It can’t be like that, it’s too rushed. _

 

A long sigh leaves you and you kick absentmindedly at the sand with your boot. The dust rises up and floats slightly in the wind before settling back down. Your stomach rumbles, clenching with hunger. How long had you been walking? You glance up at the sky, blinking. When did it get so dark out? The sun is low in the sky, part of it already vanishing behind the horizon. You glance in the direction of the campfire and realize that if it gets dark while you’re walking, you’ll lose sight of the smoke. Without wasting any more time, you turn yourself back around and head towards camp again.

 

Darkness falls when you’re a few hundred feet from camp. You hunter’s senses perk up, listening intently to any extra noise besides the sound of your footfalls. Thankfully, nothing attacks you, but the camp is eerily silent when you reach it. Had they already gone to bed? It’s dark, so you can only just make out what the light of the fire touches. You don’t see Prompto sitting on the edge of the rock face until you get to the top. He’s facing in the direction you left in, staring out into the distance. The tent’s closed, and you think you can hear light snoring coming from inside. From whom, you have no idea. You spot a plate of food sitting on one of the chairs. It must be yours. You pick it up and slowly head over to Prompto, sitting down beside him, letting your legs hang off the edge. He looks at you, eyes widening slightly, but filled with relief.

 

“You’re back.” He says, staring at you like he’s seeing you for the first time in years.

 

“Sorry about that, I had to get out.” You meet his eyes. “Did I worry you?”

 

“Like crazy! I thought the daemons got you.” He averts his eyes. “Of course th-the um...guys were worried about you too, it wasn’t just me. I told them I’d wait up, though, and if you didn’t come back by a half hour after dark, I’d wake them up and we’d go look for you.” 

 

You smile a little and pick up your fork, stabbing it into a piece garulessa steak on the plate. “Thanks for waiting up, then. Though...it would have been better if one of the others waited. You probably need your rest after today.”

 

“Huh? Well, yeah, but… _ I  _ wanted to wait for you.” He scratches his head nervously as you take a bite of the steak. “Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep knowing you were out there alone.”

 

“Why’s that?” You ask, mouth half full. Manners weren’t exactly your thing when it came to eating.

 

Prompto blinks. “I would have been too worried.”

 

You swallow your food. “You should worry more about yourself, not me.”

 

He looks at you for a long moment before he lets out a small sigh. “...you’re still blaming yourself for what happened, aren’t you?”

 

“Of course I am, it was my fault.”

 

“No, it wasn’t!” His outburst is quiet, so as to not wake his friends, but you can see the determination glowing in his eyes. “How is it your fault that I got myself stabbed?”

 

You set your fork down on the plate, getting ready for a debate. “Because I wasn’t fast enough.”

 

“You  _ were _ fast enough. You saved my life!”

 

That confuses you. How did you save his life if the MT hit its mark anyways? “What? What are you talking about?”

 

His gaze looks far away, like he’s looking through you, not at you. “I… you probably couldn’t see it because of the direction you came from, but… when the MT aimed its swords at me, it was aiming at my chest, not my stomach.”

 

Your eyes widen and you find yourself unwantedly imagining the weapons piercing Prompto’s chest instead. “Your chest…?” It’s a frightened whisper.

 

“Yes. I tried to move away, but I… I saw it, _____. I saw those blades heading for my heart, and I thought I was a goner. Then you showed up. When you stabbed it with your daggers, it threw the MT off balance and the swords landed in my stomach instead.” One of his hands moves absentmindedly to touch the still ripped and bloodied fabric of his tank. You spot a flash of bandages below the gaps of cloth and your heart beats into your throat. “If you hadn’t done that, I’d be dead.”

 

“Shit…” You whisper, feeling like you’re going to get emotional again. You were closer to losing him today than you thought.

 

“So please don’t blame yourself, okay?” He looks at you again, blue eyes pleading. “You did everything you could. And...I’m the reason I got stabbed, not you. Please just… don’t blame yourself anymore. I can’t take seeing you like that.”

 

You frown. “Seeing me like what?”

 

“Sad. When I saw you crying earlier, I-- I swear I felt my heart break a little bit.” He looks away again, suddenly bashful. You set your plate beside you on the rock, moving your hand to rest on his. His hand tenses up a little bit, fingers digging into his knee before it relaxes.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“N-No, don’t… you don’t have to apologize for crying. I’m just upset I put you through that.”

 

“I’ve seen it before, Prompto. It’s really nothing new to me, trust me.”

 

His eyes find yours again and you can see the hurt in them. “Is that why you were upset? Did I remind you of something painful?”

 

You want to lie and tell him he didn’t, but you don’t. The warmth of his hand under yours and the way that he’s looking at you makes you want to tell him the truth. “Yes…”

 

He’s quiet for a moment. “Did you want to talk about it…?”

 

Do you? Your voice shakes slightly when you speak. “It’s just… I’ve lost people before. Watching you suffer like that… it reminded me of all the times I’ve had to watch people I care about die.”

 

“ _ Oh. _ ” He seems like he’s at a loss for words. His hand shifts under yours as he moves it to squeeze your hand, holding it tightly within his. “I’m so sorry, ____…”

 

“It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it, and even though it still hurts, I keep on going. I have to keep fighting for them. And… I have to keep fighting to keep the people I care for safe.”

 

“That’s a really good way of thinking about it.”

 

“It is.” You sigh. “The other thing that was bothering me was the phoenix down. If I had something like that when my friends were dying…”

 

“Y’know...it’s not good to think in ‘what if’s’. That’s how you lose yourself.”

 

You close your eyes for a second. “I know. That’s why I had to go on that walk. I had to clear my head.”

 

“You’re not alone, though. I’m like that too. I’m always thinking of things like that. ‘What if I do something wrong?’, ‘What if I’m not good enough at fighting?’, ‘What if I’m a burden?’... ‘What if they don’t actually like me?’ Stuff like that.” Prompto looks away from you. He’s obviously touched a nerve. Your heart twinges. Doesn’t he see how wonderful he is?

 

“Prompto. It’s impossible  _ not _ to like you. I liked you the second I met you. I’m sure it’s the same for everyone you meet. Unless, you know, they’re evil.”

 

He turns his head back to look at you, eyes wide. The firelight bounces off his features and you swear you can see a slight tint of pink on his freckled cheeks. “Wh-what? You seriously think that?”

 

“I do. You’re really a great guy, Prompto. You’re always caring about everyone and trying your best to make sure everyone’s happy. You have a big heart, you know?”

 

His lower lip quivers slightly and his grip on your hand tightens. “Thank you. I really… needed to hear that.”

 

A wave of affection washes over you and you find yourself scooching closer to him. Your shoulder brushes against his and you hear him inhale shakily with surprise. You lean against him, resting your head on his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

 

His body is stiff against yours for a moment before you feel him relax. You can hear his heart beating, light and fast like a small bird’s wings. His chest expands as he breathes and you close your eyes, focusing on him. He’s alive. He’s safe. He’s close to you, hand warm in yours. You feel him lean his head lightly against yours, and he lets out a little sigh.

 

“This is nice… just us and the stars.” Prompto sounds a little nervous, but sincere, nonetheless.

 

You open your eyes and shift the position of your head slightly to look at the night. The moon sits high in the sky, bright and beautiful, surrounded by splashes of stars. They remind you of Prompto’s freckles and it makes you smile. “It’s really pretty.”

 

“... so are you.”

 

Your heart flutters and jumps into overdrive. Did he really just say that? You lift your head from his shoulder, straightening up to look at him. He’s doesn’t meet your gaze, but stares at your clasped hands bashfully, biting his lip.

 

“What?” You ask, dumbfounded.

 

He clears his throat awkwardly. “I said...y-you’re really pretty.”

 

You’re silent, staring at him, not quite sure what to do. Your brain’s screaming at you to squeeze his hand, hug him, kiss him,  _ something _ , but you can’t move right now for some reason. 

 

Prompto finally looks at you, his brows furrowed. “That was… too much, wasn’t it?” He lets out a nervous laugh. “Uh… just forget I said that.”

 

“No,” you say, a little too quickly. He blinks and opens his mouth to say something, but you cut him off. “I don’t want to forget it. I want to remember this moment forever.”

 

It takes a moment before a slow, shy smile graces his lips. Those lips… you want so badly to kiss him right now.  _ So why don’t you? _ You can’t, you reason. He should be the one to make the first move. You don’t want to scare him away by moving too fast. But… you can hint at what you want. Hesitantly, you lean forward a little bit, watching his expression. His eyebrows raise, and his gaze flickers to your lips before he meets your eyes again. You can see how nervous he is, but at the same time, there’s a deep affection reflected in those brilliant blue eyes. He leans in slightly too, and that’s all the proof you need to close the distance between you and gently capture his lips with yours. 

 

Kissing Prompto is everything you ever imagined it would be, perhaps even better. His lips are soft, and the way he’s kissing you is delicate-- timid, even. He sighs wistfully and his breath tickles your nose. It’s too much. You lean into the kiss more, squeezing his hand slightly for encouragement.  _ There’s no reason to be shy, _ you think, willing him to understand.  _ We both want this. _ His other hand reaches up to lightly caress your cheek before his lips press a little harder against yours, a newfound hunger in his kisses. You hum contentedly into his mouth, and it seems to set him off. His hand moves from your cheek to the back of your head, fingers tangling themselves in your hair. He lets go of your hand and moves his arm to wrap around your waist, pulling you tighter against him. You find yourself grabbing onto his jacket, tugging at it to keep him close. Each kiss is more fervent than the last. You don’t know how long this passion has been building between the two of you, but it seems like it’s reached its breaking point. You’re both breathing heavily, trying to sneak breaths in between kisses. You can’t think straight. The events of the day, and even all of Eos itself, has melted away, leaving only Prompto and the feeling of his mouth on yours. You get lost in him and in your emotions. Your teeth nip softly at his lower lip and he groans, a glorious noise you’ll have to thank the Six for later. His tongue grazes your lips and you part them, surprised at his confidence, but happy to oblige. He slowly circles his tongue around yours and you feel like you’re floating. You’re partially aware of how he tastes faintly of berry energy drink, with a hint of...is that garlic? _ Ignis must have put garlic on the steak.  _ Your stomach growls loudly-- almost comically --as you remember dinner. Prompto pauses his kissing and pulls away from you, eyebrows raised.

 

“Was that… your stomach?” He asks, looking a little astonished.

 

You bite your lip, suddenly sheepish. “Um… yes?”

 

He blinks a few times before he bursts into laughter, dropping his hand from the back of your head to hold his stomach. You can feel him shaking against you, going into a fit of giggles. He leans his forehead on your shoulder, trying to recover.

 

“That was… so  _ loud _ .” He says when he catches his breath. You’re trying not to smile.

 

“I know. I must be really hungry.”

 

He picks his head back up, looking a little shocked. “Oh yeah… you never finished your food.” An embarrassed smile lights up his features. “Oops.”

 

“That’s okay, I had something sweeter than dinner.” You give his cheek a quick kiss, which elicits a surprised squeak from him. He buries his face in your shoulder, suddenly shy again.

 

“_____, that wasn’t fair…” He whines into your shirt.

 

“What wasn’t fair?”

 

“That… that was so  _ cute _ . Are you trying to kill me?”

 

You giggle slightly, reaching for the plate beside you again, hoping the food’s not too cold. “No, I want to keep you safe, remember? I told you I want to keep the people I care about safe.”

 

Prompto’s quiet for a little bit, then lifts his head again to look at you, his expression a more serious one than before. “So you… you care about me, then? This whole thing… it was real, right?”

 

_ What kind of question is that? _ You meet his eyes, giving him a soft smile. “Of course it was real. I care about you, Prompto. I’ve cared about you for a while. It’s been really hard for me to stop myself from… well, doing what we just did.”

 

His eyes widen. “How long have you been wanting to do that?”

 

Now it’s your turn to be bashful. “Oh, um… since maybe, like, a week after we met…”

 

He looks positively amazed. “Me too. I was just… I didn’t know if you felt that way, so I never did it.”

 

“So… you mean to tell me… that we’ve both been… pining for each other this whole time?” You ask, stunned.

 

“Damn right, and it was really annoying. Glad it’s all out in the open now.” Gladio’s voice comes from behind the two of you. It effectively startles you both, and you almost drop your food.

 

“Gladio!” Prompto sounds both embarrassed and annoyed. “How long were you listening?!”

 

You turn your head to look. Gladio’s poking his head out from the tent, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Woke up when blondie over here moaned. Been listening since.”

 

Prompto’s face turns five shades of pink. “M-moaned?? I didn’t… I didn’t moan, that was...I-I…______? Tell him, t-tell him it wasn’t a moan.”

 

If you remembered correctly, it  _ was _ kind of a mix between a groan and a moan, but you decided to steer clear. “I’m just… going to eat my food now.”

 

“See? Even she agrees with me.” Gladio says, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I didn’t say I agreed, just that I’m hungry and that I don’t want to participate in the debate.” You explain, shoveling some steak into your mouth. Yep. There  _ is  _ garlic in this.

 

Prompto makes a face. “Go back to sleep and leave us alone.”

 

“Why, so you can make out more?” He teases, obviously enjoying this too much.

 

“What in name of the Six is going on? Why are you all being so  _ loud _ ?” Ignis’s voice comes from the tent, sounding agitated. His head appears moments later, eyes squinting.

 

“Prompto finally made a move.” Gladio answers. “They were really going at it.”

 

Ignis raises a brow and takes his glasses out from somewhere behind him in the tent, putting them on, suddenly intrigued. “What do you mean, ‘going at it’?”

 

“They made out and Prompto moaned.”

 

“ _ Gladio! _ ” Prompto half-shrieks.

 

You quickly shovel more food into your mouth. It oddly feels like you two just got caught by his very highly amused parents.

 

“This is a surprising turn of events…” Ignis drifts off. He notices your atrocious eating and looks at you, raising his brows. “How is the steak? I endeavored to make it just done enough to still be tender.”

 

You give him a thumbs up because the Six know there’s no way you’re going to be able to talk with all the food in your mouth. A loud snore sounds from the inside of the tent. Noctis, you realize.

 

“Can’t you guys just go back to sleep?” Prompto says, looking more than a little annoyed.

 

“Yes, but you two must get to sleep soon as well. We’re resuming the behemoth hunt tomorrow, so you’ll need your rest.” Ignis replies, letting out a small, dignified yawn not too soon after.

 

“Yeah, so that means no funny business when you two get in the tent, got that?” Gladio looks serious.

 

“ _ Funny business? _ What the hell do you think we’re gonna do in a crowded tent?” Prompto asks incredulously.

 

“You never know.” Ignis quips before disappearing back into the confines of the tent.

 

“It’s called being quiet, and it  _ does _ work.” Gladio says cryptically. You almost choke on your food. He disappears into the tent as well, leaving Prompto and you alone.  _ Finally _ .

 

Prompto looks a little mentally scarred. “I  _ knew _ it…” He whispers to himself.

 

You swallow your food. You’re scared to ask, but you do anyway. “Knew what?”

 

“I thought I heard Gladio-- well, y’know--” He does the universal ‘jerking off’ motion with his hand-- “a few nights ago, but I ignored it and went to back to sleep. He has that magazine thing with him sometimes, too…  _ son of a bitch _ , I really didn’t need to know I was right...”

 

You try to push that image out of your head. “I didn’t need to know either…”

 

Prompto blinks. “Oh shit! Yeah, sorry… um… that was… a little too much info, huh?”

 

You laugh a little. “It’s fine. It’s not like you sneak it in the tent, right?” It  _ was _ a joke, but Prompto’s wide eyes and immediate ashamed expression tells you you’ve discovered something. Your mouth drops open. “ _ No _ ...oh my gods, Prompto...you  _ have _ ?”

 

“I-It was a one time thing! Shut up! Gah… no, don’t shut up, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” He covers his face with his hands. 

 

Suddenly, you’re  _ very _ intrigued. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed. It happens. I’ve even done that before.”

 

His hands drop from his face. The poor guy’s looking at you like you have two heads. “Oh... _ oh. _ Um...wow. I-I…”

 

_ Well, this escalated quicker than I thought it would. _ You think, wondering if you’ve taken it too far.

 

“Sorry, I was just trying to reassure you, is all.” You explain, finishing up your food.

 

“You’ve uh...done more than that.” He’s glancing away from you, hands resting suspiciously over his crotch. Oh...oops.

 

You let out a small laugh and try not to stare. “Didn’t mean to do that, sorry.”

 

He swallows thickly and bites his lip. “Hey, are we… are we a thing now? Like… boyfriend and girlfriend kind of thing?”

 

You raise an eyebrow. “It depends. Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

 

His eyes are glued to your face. “Yes. Seventy thousand times, yes.”

 

“Then, yes. We are a thing now.” You smile.

 

He smiles back, though it’s a nervous one. “Good.”

 

It looks like he’s holding himself back from saying more, and you think you know what he  wants to ask, so you go ahead and say it for him.

 

“Were you...going to ask me if I could take care of that for you?” You glance at his hands in his lap, genuinely curious.

 

“Wh-What? Pssh. Nah… I wasn’t… going to ask that. It’s way too soon… right?” He doesn’t sound so sure.

 

“Hm… I guess you’re right. Maybe some other time.” It’s a test. Honestly, you didn’t really care. Your earlier makeout session with him had left you feeling hot enough that you wouldn’t mind if it just happened right now.  _ Is that bad? _ You wonder.

 

“O-Okay...yeah. Some other time…” He drifts off. Was that… disappointment you heard in his tone? 

 

You set your empty plate aside, deciding to test the waters a little bit. “We need our sleep tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

 

His head shoots up. “Tomorrow?!”

 

“What, is that too soon?” You ask, tilting your head. Six, you’re being cheeky tonight. The hell had gotten into you?

 

“N-No… I mean, it’s fine with me b-but… how will we…?”

 

“We’ll convince the guys to stay at a hotel.” You say simply, then, leaning in, you add, “and we’ll be quiet.”

 

You’ve never seen anyone blush harder in your life than Prompto did in that moment. You have no doubt that this relationship will be fun one.  _ Thank the Six for Prompto, _ you think.  _ And thank the Six for phoenix downs. _

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo~ that ended on a little bit of a suggestive note, yeah? I'm actually probably going to write a nsfw sequel to this, so look forward to that! ;D


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